Masseur drops Travolta sex claim

By Piya Sinha-Roy

ONE of the two male masseurs who accused Hollywood star John Travolta of sexual assault has dropped his $2m lawsuit -- but a second claim by another masseur is going ahead.

The unidentified man, referred to as John Doe No 1, who claimed the star groped him during a massage session in Beverly Hills in January, filed a notice dismissing his lawsuit.

Travolta's lawyer, Marty Singer, said that the actor had been completely vindicated by the dismissal of the first complaint.

"My client is completely vindicated. We fully expect that my client will similarly be vindicated with respect John Doe No 2 (the second claim) as well as with respect to any other person who makes meritless claims against John Travolta," Mr Singer said in a statement. The first masseur was reported last week to have said he got the wrong date of the alleged incident after photos and restaurant receipts surfaced of the Pulp Fiction actor in New York on the same day.

"The case has been dismissed, but that doesn't mean it can't be refiled," the plaintiff's attorney, Okorie Okorocha, said.

Touched

Mr Okorocha said he would still be going ahead with the lawsuit against Travolta, representing a second unidentified man, John Doe No 2, who claimed Travolta rubbed his leg, touched his genitals and tried to initiate sex at a private appointment at an Atlanta hotel on January 28.

Asked whether he was concerned about the credibility of John Doe No 2's suit in light of the first masseur's dismissal, Mr Okorocha said: "Not at all. I'm not worried about anything with John Doe 2."

Celebrity news website Radar Online said that it had obtained emails it claimed were written by the Atlanta masseur to his employers that made no reference to the alleged incident involving Travolta.

Radar Online said the emails were written the day after the alleged encounter and that the masseur was asking to be demoted.

Travolta (58) has been married to actress Kelly Preston since 1991.

The latest allegations against the actor are unlikely to affect his career, according to celebrity image experts, who say that Travolta has overcome speculation about his sex life in the past without any negative impact.

hnews@herald.ie